Drive assembly for textile coilers



June 23, 1959 Filed Feb. 12, 1958 H. P. JACKSON DRIVE ASSEMBLY FOR TEXTILE COILERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Harold Rc/adson/ United States Patent "ice DRIVE ASSEMBLY FOR TEXTILE CDILERS Harold P. Jackson, McDonough, Ga., assignor to McDonough PowerEquipment, Inc., McDonough, Ga., a corporation of Georgia- Application February 12, 1958, Serial No. 714,857

9' Claims. (Cl. 74-423) This invention relates to a drive assembly for textile coilers and more particularly to such an assembly for driving a textile coiler from the power take-ofi? of a textile carding-machine or the like.

The present invention is directed to the problem of providing an efficient and rugged drive assembly for a textile coiler wherein the drive assembly'may be adjusted readily to' enableit to be coupled effectively to the power take-off of a; textile carding machine or the like with which the textile coiler is associated. Inasmuch as the textile coiler may be associated with different types of textile machines, such as carding, drawing, and combing machines, and the powertakebfifs of these different machines may be located at different heights above the floor level, it is freque'n'tly ditficult to eifectively couple the textile coiler to the power take-off of the particular machine with which the coiler is associated." By utilizing a drive assembly in accordance with the present invention, the assembly can be readily adjusted vertically so that it can be coupled eifectively to the power take-01f of the machine with which the textile coiler is associated.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to providea new and improved drive assembly for textile cdile'rs which is eflicient and rugged in service.

It is another object of the present invention to providesuch a drive assembly which may be adjusted readily to position it for eifective coupling to the power take-off of a carding machine or the like with which the textile coiler is-associated'.

It is a. further obje'ct'of the present invention to provide such a. drive assembly which includes a new and improved bearing support bracket.

Briefly described, a preferred embodiment of a drive assembly according to the present invention comprises a substantially horizontal drive shaft, a vertical driven shaft, and a bearing support bracket'having a first sleeve member which surrounds the drive shaft and a second sleeve member which surrounds the driven shaft. The drive shaft and its surrounding sleeve member project through a side opening in the vertical column of the textile coiler, the size of the opening being such that the sleeve member and hence the drive shaft may be shifted vertically within-the opening. A bracket mounting plate surrounds and engages the sleeve member to support the entire bracket. The size of the bracket mounting plate is such that it covers the'side opening in the hollow vertical column of the coiler and the mounting plate is provided with elongated vertical slots which receive bolt members for connecting the plate in a given adjusted position with respect to the coiler column. This enables the vertical position of the mounting plate to be shifted readily so that the bearing support bracket and hence the drive shaft can be positioned as desired.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become" more apparent fromth'e following detailed 2,891,412 Patented June 23, 1959 '2 description taken in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing a drive assembly for a textile coiler in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. .2 is a top plan view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. '3 is an enlarged elevational view, mostly in section;-of the drive assembly shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view looking in the direction of the arrows 4-4 shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an exploded isometric view showing a preferred form of a bearing support bracket and bracket mounting plate according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 1 designates the hollow vertical column of a textile coiler. Column 1 is provided with a side opening 2 which extends through the column wall at a location between the upper and lower ends of the vertical column. Usually, opening 2 will be approximately midway of the height of the column. A drive shaft 3 extends through opening 2 and has a bevelgear 4 mounted on the drive shaft adjacent end 5 of the drive shaft as shown in Fig. 3. Bevel gear 4 is retained on shaft 1 by suitable means such as key 6 and set screw 7.: Column 1 contains a vertical shaft 8 which extends throughout the height of the column and drives other component parts of the textile coiler. Shaftfi is sur rounded by a driving tube'or sleeve 9 whichfis connected to the shaft by suitable means'such as set screw 10 so that when sleeve 9 is driven shaft 8 is also driven. Sleeve 9 is" driven by a bevel gear 11 which" meshes with bevel gear 4 as shown in Figs. l3and is connected to sleeve 9" by suitable means such as key 12 and set screw 13.

The gear drive assembly thus far described is supported for rotation by bearing assemblies carried bya bearing support bracket indicated generally by the reference numeral '14 ('see Figs. 3 and 5 in particular). Thus, bracket 14 includes a first sleeve member 15 which car: ries bearing assemblies 16 and 17 which rotatably support driving shaft 3. While bearing assemblies 16 and 17 are shown as being ball" bearing assemblies, it is apparent that any suitable type of hearing may be em ployed.

Bracket 14 also includes a second sleeve member '18 located within column 1. Sleeve 18 extends beyond th'e drive tube and mesh correctly with bevel gear 4'carried by drive shaft 3. It is thus evident that the respective axes of sleeve members 15 and 18 of bracket 14 are subst'antially at right angles to each other since drive shaft} is substantially horizontal and driven shaft 8 is a vertical shaft.

Bracket .sleeve member 15 projects, through column sid'e opening 2 and is of lesser size than opening 2 as isshown in .Figs l and 3.. A bracket mounting plate 2i? surrounds sleeve member 15' and is detachably connected, thereto by means such as set screw 21. Mounting plate 20 is' of such size that it covers column sideopeningZ, see Figs. 1 and 4. Moreover, mounting plate 20 is connected with respectto column I by suitable means such as headed bolts 22 which pass through vertically elo'n gated slots 23 provided in mounting plate 20 and engage an adapter-plate 24 which is connected to column 1 by suitable means such as bolts 25. It is preferred to' use arr-adapter plate 24 since column 1 is preferably a hollow cylinderand the adapter plate presents a flat surface to mounting plate 20. However, it is apparent that the adapter plate may be eliminated in the event that column 1 had a flat side or, alternatively, mounting plate 20 could be provided with a curved surface adapted to engage column 1. p

With the arrangement shown, it is evident that mount ing plate 20 can be adjusted vertically with respect to column side opening 2 and, since the mounting plate carries bracket 14, the latter can also be adjusted ver tically with respect to column 1. Such adjustment includes loosening set screw to permit drive tube 9 to be shifted along vertical shaft 8. Accordingly, vertical shifting of mounting plate can result in vertical shifting of bracket 14 and the entire drive gear assembly carried thereby.

In order to provide ready access to the drive gear assembly from the other side of the textile coiler column, the latter is provided with another side opening located substantially opposite side opening 2 as shown in Fig. 1. Opening 26 is preferably provided with a readily removable cover 27. When cover 27 is removed, ready access may be had to components of the gear drive assembly such as set screw 10, bevel gear 11, and sleeve member 18 of bearing support bracket 14.

To facilitate assembly and disassembly of component parts of the overall drive assembly thus far described, sleeve member 18 of bracket 14 preferably includes a detachable portion 28 which is connected to portion 29 of sleeve member 18 by suitable means such as the elongated threaded bolts 30 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. By removing bolts 30, sleeve portion 28 may be removed, thus freeing the remainder of the bracket 14 from shaft 8 and permitting it to be removed through opening 2. When sleeve portion 28 is connected to sleeve portion 29, sleeve member 18 is completed to provide a support for bearing assembly 19. As shown in the drawings, see Figs. 2 and 5 in particular, sleeve portion 28 partially surrounds shaft 8 and partially defines the opening of sleeve member 18.

In order to provide strength and rigidity to bracket 14, portion 29 of sleeve member 18 is preferably integral with sleeve member 15, being connected thereto by wall member 31 and, in addition, triangular reinforcing wall members 32 extend between wall member 31 and portion 29 of sleeve 18. This configuration of bearing bracket 14 has been found to provide a sufliciently strong and rigid support for bearing assembly 19 in which drive tube 9 and vertical shaft 8 rotate. Moreover, the entire bracket can be supported by and adjusted with mounting plate 20.

It is thus seen that the present invention provides a drive assembly for a textile coiler which is eflicient and rugged and may be adjusted readily to effectively couple the drive assembly to the power take-01f of a textile carding machine or the like with which the coiler is associated. The drive assembly itself may be quickly assembled and disassembled. Bearings for the drive shaft and the driven shaft are supported by a unitary bracket adapted to be carried by a mounting plate which is readily accessible so that the entire assembly may be adjusted to accommodate it to the height of a particular power take-off with which the drive assembly is associated.

While I have described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to be restricted solely thereto but that I do intend to cover all modifications thereof which would be apparent to one skilled in the art and which come within the spirit and scope of my invention.

- I claim:

1. In combination with a hollow vertical column having a side opening therein, a drive assembly comprising a drive shaft extending substantially'horizontally through said opening, a driven shaft extending vertically within said column, a bearing support bracket having a first sleeve member and a second sleeve member, said first sleeve member surrounding said drive shaft and also extending through said column side opening, the size of said first sleeve member with respect to said opening being such that said first sleeve member may be shifted vertically within said opening, said second sleeve member surrounding said driven shaft and being located Within said hollow vertical column, and means detachably connecting said bracket to said column.

2. In combination with a a hollow vertical column having a side opening therein, a drive assembly comprising a drive shaft extending substantially horizontally through said opening, a driven shaft extending vertically within said column, a bearing support bracket having a first sleeve member and a second sleeve member, said first sleeve member surrounding said drive shaft and also extending through said column side opening, said second sleeve member surrounding said driven shaft and being located within said column, a bracket mount ing plate, means detachably connecting said bracket mounting plate to said first sleeve member, and means detachably connecting said bracket mounting plate to said column.

3. In combination with a hollow vertical column having a side opening therein, a drive assembly comprising a drive shaft extending substantially horizontally through said opening, a driven shaft extending vertically within said column, a bearing support bracket having a first sleeve member and a second sleeve member, said first sleeve member surrounding said drive shaft and also extending through said column side opening, the size of said first sleeve member with respect to said opening eing such that said first sleeve member may be shifted vertically within said opening, said second sleeve member surrounding said driven shaft and being located within said column, a bracket mounting plate positioned exteriorly of said column and covering said side opening, means detachably connecting said bracket mounting plate to said first sleeve member, and means detachably con necting said mounting plate to said column, said mounting plate having an elongated vertical slotextending therethrough and said last named connecting means extending through said slot whereby the vertical position of said mounting plate and hence said bracket may be adjusted with respect to said column side opening.

4. In combination with a hollowv vertical column having a side opening therein, a drive assembly comprising a drive shaft extending substantially horizontally through said opening, a driven shaft extending vertically within said column, a bearing support bracket 'having a first sleeve member and a second sleeve member, said first sleeve member surrounding said drive shaft and also extending through said column side opening, said second sleeve member surrounding said driven shaft and including a detachably connected sleeve portion partially surrounding said driven shaft to an extent such that when said detachable sleeve portion is removed the remainder of said bracket may be moved away: from .said driven shaft, a bracket mounting plate, means. detachably connecting said bracket mounting plate to said first sleeve portion, and means detachably connecting said bracket mounting plate to said column whereby said bracket is supported by said bracket mounting plate. 7

5. In combination with a hollow vertical column ing a side opening therein, a drive assembly comprising a drive shaft extending substantially horizontally through said opening, a driven shaft extending vertically within said column, a bearing support bracket having a first sleeve member and a second sleeve member, said first sleeve member surrounding said drive shaft and also extending through saidcolurnn side opening, the size of said first sleeve member with respect to said opening being such that said first sleeve member may be shifted vertically within said opening, said second sleeve member surrounding said driven shaft and including a detachably connected sleeve portion partially surrounding said driven shaft to an extent such that when said detachable sleeve portion is removed, the remainder of said bracket may be moved away from said driven shaft, a bracket mounting plate positioned exteriorly of said column and covering said column side opening, means detachably connecting said bracket mounting plate to said first sleeve member, and means detachably connecting said mounting plate to said column, said mounting plate having a plurality of elongated vertical slots extending therethrough and said last named connecting means extending through said slots whereby the vertical position of said mounting plate and hence said bracket may be adjusted with respect to said column side opening.

6. For use with a textile coiler, a drive assembly comprising -a driving shaft, a driven shaft positioned substantially at right angles to said driving shaft and beyond one end of said driving shaft, a first bevel gear mounted on said driving shaft adjacent said one end of said driving shaft, a second bevel gear mounted on said driven shaft and in mesh with said first bevel gear, and a bearing support bracket having a first sleeve member surrounding said driving shaft, a second sleeve member surrounding said driven shaft, and means rigidly connecting said first sleeve member to said second sleeve member.

7. For use with a textile coiler, a drive assembly according to claim 6 wherein said second sleeve member includes a detachably connected sleeve portion partially surrounding said driven shaft to an extent such that when said sleeve portion is detached the remainder of said bracket may be moved away from said driven shaft.

8. For use with a textile coiler, a shaft bearing support bracket comprising a first sleeve member and a second sleeve member having their respective axes located substantially at right angles to each other, and means rigidly supporting said first sleeve member with respect to said second sleeve member, said second sleeve member being located beyond one end of said first sleeve member and being olfset from the axis of said first sleeve member whereby said sleeve members can receive a driving shaft and a driven shaft interconnected by bevel gears.

9. For use with a textile coiler, a bearing support bracket according to claim 8 wherein said second sleeve member includes a detachably connected sleeve portion partially defining the sleeve opening of said second sleeve member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 631,065 Delorieux Aug. 15, 1899 788,888 Cross May 2, 1905 1,112,565 Schultz Oct. 6, 1914 1,375,170 Bayne et al. Apr. 21, 1919 1,527,443 Rudolph Feb. 24, 1925 2,006,742 Miller July 2, 1935 2,792,858 Bryant May 21, 1957 

